The Philippine Navy acquired the first 174-foot tanker at an unknown date from the United States. The ship was commissioned as the RPS Lake Mainit (YO-35). A second ship in the class, commissioned as the RPS Lake Naujan (YO-43, ex-YOG-173) was acquired in July 1948 from the United States. The ships were classified as light tankers under the Philippine Navy's original hull numbering system. The ships were utilized as fuel tankers.

In July 1967 the Philippine Navy acquired another ship of this class, commissioned as the RPS Lake Buhi (YO-78, ex-YOG-73). The ship was technically on loan from the United States Navy, but was purchased outright on 5 March 1980. Some sources list another ship that was also loaned at the same time, RPS Lake Taal (YO-72), but this could not be confirmed. Two ships of this type that escaped from South Vietnam in 1975, ex-YOG-33 and ex-YOG-80, were acquired by the Philippine Navy for parts.

In 1975 the Philippine Navy also acquired 2 174-foot water tankers, ostensibly of the same type as the Lake Mainit class ships, but classifed as water tanks (YW under the Philippine Navy's older hull numbering system). These ships was commissioned as the RPS Lake Buluan (YW-33, ex-YW-111) and RPS Lake Paoay (YW-34, ex-YW-130) respectively. Another ship of this type was acquired in 1978, and was commissioned as the RPS Lake Lanao (YW-42, ex-YW-125).

The Lake Mainit was stricken in 1979 and the Lake Naujan and Lake Lanao were stricken in 1989. The remaining Lake Mainit class ships were reclassified initially as Tenders (with the AE prefix) and then as POL Ships (with the AF prefix). At the same time the remaining Lake Buluan class ships were reclassified under the new hull numbering system with the AW prefix, which replaced the YW prefix. The code prefix changed, but the classification of Water Tanker remained the same.

In December 2007 the Lake Paoay was decommissioned. Whether it was stricken or used for parts is unknown. As of 2009 it was unclear how many ships of either class remained in service.